8 N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 305 



of her protein needs. In this case it wovild be advisable to reduce the protein 

 content of the grain ration. A substantial number of operators in this sur- 

 vey took advantage of this fact. Many operators, however, fed grain more 

 liberally than was necessary when a large amount of a legume silage was fed. 



Three hundred and thirty-two of the operators reported that the cows 

 ate the grass silage readily. Twenty-six reported difficulty. In practically 

 every case the difficulties arose because the silage was either quite putrid, 

 because of insufficient preservative, or because the material was too dry and 

 of poor quality. 



Eighty-three per cent of the operators reported grass silage was equal 

 or superior to corn silage. Ninety-five per cent reported that it was equal 

 or superior to hay. Again the quality of the crop was apparently the deter- 

 mining factor. 



Thirty-nine per cent of the operators reported that grass silage improved 

 milk color. This was influenced by the amount of silage fed and sub- 

 stantiates two years of experimental evidence collected at the New Jersey 

 Experiment Station. 



In addition to milking cows 3,595 heifers were fed grass silage in 

 amounts ranging from 11 to 60 pounds a day. One hundred and thirty- 

 six beef cattle were fed an average of 42 pounds a day. Forty-two horses 

 received an average of 28 pounds daily. Six hundred sheep averaged 3 

 pounds a day. Four thousand two hundred eighty head of poultry were 

 fed grass silage at the rate of 4 pounds per hundred birds with excellent 

 results, and ten brood sows received their daily quota. 



Harvesting and Storing Methods 



Mowing 



The survey indicates that care should be taken not to cut down more 

 hay than can be put away in the same half day. After cutting, the sooner 

 the crop goes into the silo, the better. In good haying weather, not over 

 two hours should elapse between mowing and ensiling. In cloudy or rainy 

 weather, a somewhat longer interval may be permissible. Any of the crop 

 that lies in the field long enough to become partly dry can be cured as hay 

 or can be made into silage by adding enough water at the silo to replace the 

 lost moisture. 



Raking 



A windrower, costing from $10 to $20, attached to any horse-drawn 

 or tractor mower did the work of a rake, without the extra operation, espe- 

 cially where the windrower did not have to be rolled up sharp slopes. In 



